


Jingle All the Way

by 1337wtfomgbby



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Idiots in Love, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Ratings may change, Tags May Change, alternate everything, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:20:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 17,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27815227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1337wtfomgbby/pseuds/1337wtfomgbby
Summary: Advent Ficlet Challenge 2020.I think we all had enough of 2020 at this point. So I thought by doing this challenge I would at least give you some joy, while also getting some joy while writing it
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo/Hevy, CT-27-555 | Fives/CT-6116 | Kix, Hardcase/CT-6116 | Kix
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6
Collections: 2020 Advent Ficlet Challenge





	1. Tis the season

**Author's Note:**

> You'll be getting a fic a day up until christmas.  
> I'm doing it like I did for october, so you'll be getting a fic with a Kixcase, Fiveskix and Hecho focus (in that order). This time it even comes out to a even number. Yay math \\(°D°)/

„God, could you turn off this aweful music,“ Kix grumbled, massaging his temples as yet another christmas song played on the radio. This time it was 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.  
„Come on Kix,“ Hardcase chuckled, laying an arm around his shoulders to shake him a little, „Tis the season to be jolly.“  
„Jolly my ass,“ Kix snorted, refusing to be cheared up by his boyfriend. 

„You've been grumpy all evening,“ Hardcase said quietly, sensing that Kix wasn't at all in the mood; he didn't even want to help him decorate the christmas tree, „did something happen?“  
„You're asking if something happened?“ Kix snorted, „let's see, I had two shattered skulls, three frozen homeless, two strangled shoppers, one suicide and a drunk that drove into a tree. And all of that not even three hours into my shift.“

Kix was happy for the fact that Hardcase had christmas off so at least one of them could stay with the children, but it didn't help that one of them would be hit with a depressive hammer around christmas time; this year it was him.  
And there wasn't much that Hardcase could say to raise his mood, appart from...

„Don't think about the hospital will you,“ Hardcase said, pulling him into the living room where Senson was busy with decorating the christmas tree, while Mirek was listening to the grinch movie that was playing on the tv.  
„You're not on call anymore until the 26th, so forget about it.“  
That was easier said than done however. Kix knew how to compartmentalize with the hospital but he couldn't help but be dragged down with the current from time to time, especially around christmas.  
Thankfully he had Hardcase to catch him when he was about to fall into a depressive hole.


	2. Bells

„How the krif did you think that was a good idea?“ Echo cursed and Kix turned his head at the commotion behind him.   
„In my defense,“ Hardcase said, having his hands raised in a placiting manner at Echo, „I didn't knew there was concrete on the other side of the wall when I tossed Fives over there.“  
Echo had turned to rubbing his forehead. „You are both kriffing idiots and this is why you two should never drink alone.“  
„We didn't even drink,“ Hardcase said meekly and shrunk in on himself as Echo glared at him.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes in an open show of disappointment Echo turned towards Kix.  
„Kix, could you take a look at Fives, he hit his head. Again.“ He glared at Hardcase again, who shrugged.  
„I said I was sorry,“ he mumbled, lowering his head in guilt as Kix trudged over to them.

It was only once he got closer that he saw that Fives was being held up by Jesse and Rex, and looking quite out of it.  
„What happened?“ he asked, taking a hold of Fives' chin so he could turn his head and look into his eyes.  
„As I said,“ Echo said clipped, „he hit his head.“  
„Says he's hearing bells,“ Jesse added, and Fives turned to nodd so furiously that Kix lost his hold on his chin and was honestly worried about Fives having taken some serious damage.

„You hearing them now?“ Kix asked.  
„Yep,“ Fives grinned, then he stopped, „No, they stopped,“ he tilted his head, „now they're back again.“  
Kix frowned and so did Fives.  
„Is somebody making pancakes around here?“ he asked and Kix huffed a big sigh.  
„I'll take him to the infirmary and run some test,“ Kix said, resigning himself to the fate of having to listen to Fives' insane ramblings for the foreseeable future, „Seems like he at least has a concussion.“

Jesse and Rex still helped him to get Fives to the medbay, Echo and Hardcase also sticking around, the former out of concern and annoyance and the latter out of guilt.   
But as soon as Kix had settled Fives in, he expelled everyone else from the infirmary to lower the stimuli for Fives.

„You know, I think those bells are telling me something,“ Fives hummed as Kix shone a pen light into his eyes.  
„The bells are talking to you?“  
„No, silly,“ Fives snorted, pulling a face as Kix pressed down on both sides of his head, „it's more symbolic, you know.“  
„Sure,“ Kix said absendminded, but flinched and was immediately on high alert as Fives suddenly grabbed him around the middle.  
„They're telling me to marry you,“ he said once he had pulled Kix back against his chest.

Kix needed a moment to process, not only the words but also the fact that Fives was nicely warm and it felt way to good to be pressed back against his chest.  
Sure they had been getting a lot closer throughout the last couple of weeks but Kix had never in a hundret years thought that Fives was thinking about him in terms of marriage. Even if it was only subconsciously.

„I need to do a x-ray first, make sure you didn't do any more damage to your head,“ Kix said sternly, pushing Fives' hands off from around his chest.  
Fives looked sad once he turned towards him.  
„You don't wanna marry me,“ he sniffled and Kix rolled his eyes.  
„Tell you what,“ he sighed, „we do the x-ray and then we'll have Rex marry us.“  
Fives perked up immediately. „Rex can do that?“ he asked astonished.  
„Sure, don't they say that a captain can marry people,“ Kix shrugged.  
Thankfully, Fives was way too out of it to remember his promise once they were finished with the x-rays, and also didn't notice the fact that for that to work Rex would have to be the captain of a ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for this chapter lays with Scrubs again.   
> Namely the episodes 'My Road to Nowhere' in which the janitor randomly starts smelling pancakes after falling out of the RV, and the episode 'My Growing Pains' in which the janitor randomly starts hearing the sound of bells.


	3. Chilli

All throughout the last weeks Echo had been sure that he was seeing Hevy around the trooper of the 212th.  
At first it was only a feeling of someone watching him, then he saw trooper that moved in a way too familiar fashion using the same swagger as Cutup, and then he caught sight of a troopers helmet that had the same shape painted onto it that Hevy had tattooed to his jaw.

„That shape isn't really uncommon though,“ Fives had said once Echo told him, and generally brushed it off, probably thinking that Echo was seeing Hevy and the other domino trooper around the 212th because of wishfull thinking or, worse because his grieve was getting the better of him.  
More than once Echo had layed awake at night and wondered if he was indeed going insane.

On one occasion he actually tried to talk to the trooper with Hevy's tattoo painted on his helmet but he disappeared in the midst of the other trooper way too quickly for Echo to catch up to him.  
That night he got drunk out of his mind and headed for the infirmary to talk to Kix of all people.  
And if he hadn't been so occupied with crying and wallowing in self pitty he would have probably recognized Kix' guilty expression for what it was.  
But like this it would take two more weeks before Hevy dropped seemingly out of the rafters and Echo's entire world was turned upside down.

He didn't knew what he had expected but surely not the trooper with the painted helmet to straight up walk up to him, take off his bucket and Hevy's face to be staring back at him; although there were a lot of burns covering it and his left eye was a unnatural shade of grey, just like Wolffe's.  
Echo was way too frozen for any kind of reaction and his ears only tuned back in as Hevy waved his hand in front of his face.

„Echo!“ he said forcefully, „Hello?“  
Echo shook his head and finally managed to focus on the trooper standing in front of him.  
„You are still alive?“ he found himself ask in a squeeky voice.  
Hevy tildet his head and rolled his eyes. „Looks like it,“ he huffed.  
„Why- how-“ Echo couldn't even speak, his mind was going a mile a minute, „why didn't you tell me?“

„Because I didn't want to,“ Hevy shrugged his shoulders, „because I wanted to start over, and once I told Cutup that I-“  
„Hold up,“ Echo snapped, feeling a little light headed, „do you mean to tell me that the others are still alive?“  
Hevy shook his head. „Only Cutup and I survived,“ he explained, „the others didn't.“  
That was the moment Echo decided to sit down before he straight up dropped unconscious.

It took him a moment again before he realized that Hevy had croached down in front of him.  
„So why are you telling me now?“ Echo heard himself ask without actually meaning to.  
Hevy seemed to be looking at him with something like softness in his eyes.   
„Kix told me that you were going a little mad after you saw me the other day,“ he explained, „said it'd be better to come clean.“  
Echo's brows pulled together. „Kix knew about this,“ he growled and Hevy shrugged again.   
„He and his batch mate were the ones to patch up Cutup and me. I asked him to keep his mouth shut,“ the last sentence he commented with a roll of his eyes. Apparently Echo wasn't the only one that was not pleased with Kix.

„But why didn't you come to stay with the 501st?“ Echo asked after a moment of silence.  
Hevy sighed and took a firmer hold of Echo's knees that he was bracing himself against.  
„You know we were never that close,“ Hevy said with a resignated sigh, „we might have been in the same training unit but you saw how that worked out. It was time that we split up.“  
„We also weren't in love anymore, eh?“ Echo said and Hevy looked crestfallen.  
He huffed a big breath and hung his head. „Let's be honest here, you were always closer to Fives and Cutup never stopped his quest of getting into my pants.“ He shrugged and Echo nodded.

„I guess I can see your reasoning,“ he said glumly.  
He looked back at Hevy and before he even knew what was happening he had Hevy's lips pressed to his, while his face was being held between Hevy's hands.  
„Who am I even kidding?“ Hevy huffed against Echo's mouth, who was still a bit to blindsided by the whole situation.   
He was so frozen in fact that Hevy pulled back and looked at him with a shocked expression of his own, seemingly thinking that he had read the entire situation wrong.   
But before that thought could settle in Echo grabbed Hevy's face and kissed him, both of them finally stopped pretending.

„Wait,“ Fives snapped, staring at Kix, „You knew about this?!“  
After Echo had forced Hevy and Cutup to also reveal themselves to Fives, and after he had learned that Kix had played an instrumental part in them not learning about their batch mates survival he had marched straight into the medbay to lay into the medic.   
The fact that Cody was also present was just a plus.

„In my defense,“ Kix hurried to say as he raised his hands and took a step out of Fives' reach, „I met Hevy and promised him to keep my mouth shut about this before I met the two of you.“  
Fives snorted like a seething bull and his glare was next directed at Cody, the commander raising his hands.  
„Hey, don't look at me,“ he said, „I ain't getting involved in any of your drama.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wanted to write something like this and finally did it.  
> Side Note: I don't know why I always get Kix involved with every freking mess, but one thing's for sure: Cody don't want any of that crap.


	4. Deck the halls

For some reason Kix had already forgotten Halloween, as Hardcase had decorated his house to look like october threw up on it. With christmas however Hardcase seemingly wanted the whole family to be involved with it.  
He had woken him up at the ungodly hour of 8am on a sunday morning by opening the drapes to the december sun.   
„Wake up starshine,“ he cheered, pulling the blankets off Kix and having him wide awake through the ensuing cold.

„Are you nuts?!“ Kix swore, blinking against the bright light and trying to wrestle the blankets back from his boyfriend.   
„No, you're getting up,“ Hardcase said, pulling the blankets out of his reach and grinning widely if Kix was seeing that right, „we're decorating for christmas together.“  
Kix groaned and let himself fall back against the bed.  
„Can't you do that on your own,“ he groaned, laying an arm across his eyes to shield them from the bright light, „you're better at it anyways.“  
„Noho,“ Hardcase sing-songed. He grabbed Kix at the ankles and pulled him towards the edge of their bed with a big pull.

Kix was left utterly stunned for a second, before he glared up at his boyfriend.  
The only person that wouldn't take his wrath seriously just had to be his hyperactive jester of a boyfriend. Well, he and his sons.   
His sons that now came busting through their bedroom door and tackled him.   
Kix wheezed as he had gotten Mirek's head straight in the stomach and just layed there for a second.

„We're gonna get a christmas tree,“ Senson babbled at the same time as Mirek said, „I wanna do the garlands.“  
„No,“ Kix said decidedly and pushed himself into a sitting position, „it's only the first advent, december hasn't even started, we're not getting a christmas tree already.“  
Mirek and Senson looked bummed out for a second but piped up again as Hardcase offered to make them christmas pancakes for breakfast.

„First one in the kitchen gets the first serving,“ he said and the race downstair began, crashes and curses and all.  
„I just wanted to sleep in on my day off,“ Kix groaned once they heard Senson start yelling about how Mirek had cheated, and Mirek yelling that if his brother wasn't brave enough to jump over the ballustrade of the staircase that wasn't his fault.

He huffed another breath as Hardcase sat down next to him, laying an arm around his shoulders.  
„I just thought we spend so little time with the boys because of work,“ he said with a shrug and Kix couldn't help but agree with him.  
„You're right,“ he said, even though he sounded quite resignated still at having his beauty sleep interrupted.  
„Come on,“ Hardcase chuckled, hearing the tone of his voice and pulling Kix against his side, „you can do the garlans with Mirek and I'll do the fireplace with Senson.“

„Oh, and by the way,“ Hardcase said as Kix was pulling on some sweatpants and fluffy socks that Hardcase had insisted he wear because of his missing spleen, „your mother wanted to come over around 4pm and do something with those chestnuts the kids collected at kindergarten.“  
„Sometimes I get the feeling my mom likes you better than me,“ Kix huffed, though he smiled and snaked his arms around Hardcase's middle to hug him from behind.  
„I was just the one on the phone,“ Hardcase assured him, and both of them sighed as the boys yelled for the pancakes to be made from the kitchen.


	5. Shepherd

Fives wasn't running around in his dog form too often these days, work was just way to stressfull, but tonight he had just needed to follow the call of his dog form.  
He transformed in the parkinglot of his apartment building, where no one could see him, and made his way towards the nearby woods.  
Wyn was thankfully a town with a lot of surrounding forests for Fives to let his dog run wild.  
He spend so much time running around the forest, chasing squirrels and rabbits and whatnot, that he didn't even notice the sun setting. 

He made his way out onto a field with a herd of sheep that Fives knew had to be on the other side of town.  
Fives liked to run around the sheep and enjoyed the feeling of being able to herd them into the formations that he wanted them to be in. He was so occupied with herding the sheep around that he only noticed the herds distress a little too late.  
Fives knew that there were wolfs inhabiting the forests around Wyn but they rarely ventured towards the city, not even the surrounding area that those sheep's farm was located at.  
It didn't quite smell like wolf, also not quite like dog or human and once Fives realized that he turned around. 

His ears immediately stood up and his whole body tensed.  
The being that stood at the edge of the forest Fives had come from was huge, standing on it's hind legs, was covered from head to toe in fur, and had a wolfs head and paws.  
Fives would've dismissed the thing as being his imagination, after all how could werewolfs be real. But the fact that he was a shifter stood against that, as well as the sheep clearly being able to see the werewolf.

Fives thought about what he should be doing as the werewolf took a tentive step towards him and the sheep. If Fives didn't knew any better he would've said that the werewolf seemed more curious about him than about to charge at him and the sheep to tear them to pieces as Fives would have expected.  
And against all better judgement Fives cautiously stepped towards the werewolf himself until they were both close enough to smell each other. And Fives' ears shot up even straighter if that was even possible at what he smelled.  
The werewolf smelled familiar, it smelled of prepacked bandages and disenfectant and sterile gloves and of stuff you would find in an ambulance.

There was a rumbled growl coming from the werewolf that shook Fives out of his thoughts just in time to have him see the werewolf nod its head as if it asking him to follow, which Fives did against all better judgement.

They spend the remainder of the night running around the forest and come morning Fives understood why the werewolf had smelled essentially like an ambulance.  
„So, you are basically in controle?“ Fives asked as he watched the EMT he was sleeping with pull on his clothes.  
As dawn had approached the werewolf had lead Fives to a clearing with a car that some sort of forest trail lead to, which was probably used by lumberjacks.  
„I thought werewolfs were just raging beasts,“ Fives continued, trying to stop himself from staring at the man while he was pulling on his pants and still being without a top.

„Those are just movies, Fives,“ Kix said, grabbing a sweater from the passenger side of the car and pulling it on, „you're a werewolf long enough and you're more in controle.“  
Fives nodded, feeling kinda numb. He had been seeing Kix for a few months now -and with seeing he meant that they'd been having some no strings attached fun- and hadn't been able to pick up on his scent or anything.  
Though now he knew why, as Kix in his human form smelled nothing alike the wolf he turned to on full moon. Whereas the werewolf had smelled of ambulance, Kix smelled nothing like the wolf.

„Why didn't you tell me about this?“ Fives found himself asking and Kix, pulling on his winter jacket, snorted.  
„For the same reason you didn't tell me you were a shifter,“ he said, turning to him with a raised brow, „I could smell that on your from the very moment I met you,“ he explained as Fives looked at him with a shocked expression.  
„Besides,“ he continued, snaking his thumbs into Fives' beltloops while he pushed him up against his car, „all we had going on was a friends with benefits situation.“  
„Do I hear a past tense in that?“ Fives hummed, feeling how Kix' mood changed.  
Kix shrugged his shoulders. „If you want to,“ he hummed, nosing his way from his neck to his mouth, „I wouldn't mind having you as my little bitch.“  
Kix only laughed as Fives pinched his ass, as revenge for that comment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic was inspired by this picture: https://www.pinterest.de/pin/389279961541998983/


	6. Joy

„Gah, I hate secret santa,“ Echo grumbled, browsing his way through the baskets filled with little trinkets on the christmas market.  
„Are you kidding, that's the best thing about christmas,“ Droidbait chuckled.   
He was currently occupied with taking some stones out of a basket of the stand they had chosen. Droidbait had drawn one of the girls in their class and managed to find out that she was into witchy stuff.   
He had so far picked an amethyst for insight, rose quartz for love, tiger's eye for protection and black tourmaline for protection.

„Eleven dollars, that's still okay,“ Droidbait shrugged once he had payed.  
Their teacher had told them all to only use a budged of ten dollars, so nobody would be miffed about getting something more expensive than the other.

„I just don't know what I should get Hevy,“ Echo grumbled. Why did he even have to draw Hevy's name in the first place?  
„That's why I took you shopping,“ Droidbait said and layed his arm around his shoulders with a broad grin, „because I know what Hevy likes.“  
He pulled him towards another stand and made him buy a stupid necklace that had a bullet's casing as a charm, and at the train station he had him buy a hunter magazine, saying that Hevy didn't knew about that magazine yet as it was new.   
It came out to be under ten dollars.

Echo took the presents home and he and Droidbait spend the rest of the evening with wrapping their secret santa presents and playing mario kart.  
That monday their teacher collected all their presents, Tup's on the following day as he was sick, and put them under the little christmas tree that Rex' father had generously given to their class.  
On the first day Denal was drawn who got some candy and something slippery and slimey that could only have come from Hardcase.

Hevy got Echo's present on the 7th and would spend the whole lunch break reading in the magazine while wearing the necklace proudly around his neck.  
Echo got his present on the 22nd, the last day before christmas break, right before their class held their little breakfast.  
He was honestly surprised to find that his present was a book.

„You like it?“ Hevy asked and Echo flinched. He had been so occupied with turning the book over in his hands and staring at it that he hadn't noticed Hevy coming over to him.   
Echo nodded dumbfounded. So Hevy had been his secret santa, which meant that he had to've called his damn mother since Echo had only told her that he really wanted to read '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

„I really do,“ he hurried to say as Hevy seemed to think is unenthusiastic nodd meant that he didn't really like his present.  
„Did you really call my mother?“ he asked as Hevy refused to leave his side and Echo started to feel kinda awkward.  
Hevy nodded, and Echo asked, „Why?“  
„Open the book,“ Hevy said as way of explanation. And as Echo opened the book he saw that on the first page Hevy had written something.

 _'Do you wanna be my boyfriend?'_ it read and under it Hevy had drawn three little boxes.  
They read _'yes'_ , _'no'_ and _'I like toast'_. Though Echo suspected Hevy had only written the first two, as the last one was drawn in another pen and had a distinctively other hand writing.  
Still, under Hevy's expectant eyes, Echo took out a pen and checked the first box.  
Droidbait was right, secret santa was the best thing about christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based heavily on what I experianced during secret santa. From trips to the city or local towns christmas markets, to breakfast in class on the last day before christmas break and having a christmas tree in class.  
> The way Hevy asked Echo if he wants to be his boyfriend is also an old german meme. We used to ask: Do you wanna go out with me? And the possible answers were, yes, no and I like toast. Don't ask me why, I don't know.


	7. Blankets

At this point bets about wether or not they were gonna chrash land on a mission, as well as bets about when their next chrash landing would take place were off the table.  
Fire and Grime, who had started those bets around torent and who were running, at this point, a rather lucrative betting office had put a lid on them.  
„At this point everyone knows we're gonna chrash land at one point or another,“ Grime had argued as he banned all bets on timeframe of the crash. Now the bets were focused on why the crash would occur and where.

But Kix couldn't even be happy about the fact that he had won 50 credits by betting that the crash this week would be caused by an meteor shower -the odds had been in his favor because who really betted on that being the cause- not when Hardcase had really gotten hurt and they were running low on pretty much all medical supplies.  
Only half of his backpack had survived the crash, thankfully the half that would help Kix deal with the tension pneumathorax Hardcase had suffered.

One infusion bag had survived as well, so he could get some fluids into Hardcase, but he only had one dose of painkillers and two of antibiotics.  
The fact that their ship had been split in half during the crash and the team as well didn't help matters. General Skywalker or Commander Tano were probably able to help Hardcase but Kix had no idea how many of their part of the team were hurt, or worse how many of them hadn't survived.

„You found anything to keep him warm?“ Kix asked as Jesse returned into the wreckage.  
They had provisionally covered the hole in the ships hull to stave off the cold and snow, because as their luck also had it that they had to chrash land on a kriffing planet that was covered in ice.

Jesse held out a small bundle that turned out to be a thermal blanket.  
„How is he doing?“ Jesse asked, rubbing his hands together against the biting cold and hunkering down on the floor next to his batch mate.  
„The pneu seemed to've been the worst of it,“ Kix said relieved, „He's asleep now.“  
Sure, Hardcase still needed to have proper medical care but he wasn't on his death bed or anything. And Kix would hopefully be able to take care of him until help would arrive.

„Here, hold this,“ Kix said, sitting down himself and handing Jesse an edge of the thermal blanket. „No,“ he said as Jesse made to tuck the edge of the blanket under Hardcase's body and get back up again, „he needs the body heat.“

Jesse hesitated for a second but then nodded and sat back down.  
„I probably should help Denal and Hawk secure the perimeter,“ Jesse thought out loud after a moment of silence.  
„You're staying,“ Kix said sternly, using his patented 'no argument allowed'-voice that all medics possessed, „at least for a few hours. Then you can go and switch with Hawk. I need to watch Hardcase's vitals.“  
Jesse nodded and settled back against the wall, deciding to use the time Kix had given him to get some shut eye.

He woke up to softly mumbled words next to him.  
„How's he doing?“ he asked hoarse, rubbing his eyes to get ridd of the last bits of sleep.  
„The fever has sat in,“ Kix said clipped.  
He had a light grip on Hardcase's hands, who was moving them in awkward motions that looked strangely as if he was swimming, even his legs moved as if he was treading water.  
„It's too deep, it's too deep...“ Hardcase mumbled over and over, his face was flushed and glistening with sweat.

„I don't have the means to put him under,“ Kix said as he noticed the worried look Jesse had directed at Hardcase. „You can go and relieve Hawk,“ he continued absendminded, „I can handle him on my own.“  
Jesse nodded and got back to his feet.  
„Are you the sun?“ he heard Hardcase mumble and turned around just in time to see Hardcase having his hand pressed against Kix' cheek, who was leaning into the touch desperately.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
You make me happy when skies are gray  
You'll never know dear, how much I love you  
Please don't take my sunshine away_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why Kix is starting to develop a little bit of a gambling problem. I must've watched too much 'Two and a half Men' ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. O christmas tree

„Anyways, we couldn't get her to the ambulance on time so she had to give birth under one of these big ass mamoth trees,“ Ferns finished his story.  
Kix shuddered. „Urgh, I would never give birth under a tree,“ she groused before remembering something, „even though Mirek and Senson were conceived under a tree. Not a mamoth tree, a christmas tree.“  
„Now, how did you do that?“ Baldria asked with a raised brow.   
Kix smiled to herself. Ferns and Baldria were new on their base and still green behind the ears, they didn't knew what she and her husband got up to.

„This one is it,“ Fives proclaimed, coming to stand next to a tree, „that's our christmas tree.“  
„What do you mean, that one?!“ Kix snapped as she was able to take a look at the tree, „that one's just tall and naked.“  
„Yeah, tall,“ Fives grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.  
Kix groaned. „See, that's why I wanted to tack along. So you won't just get something all phallic and ugly.“

„Phallic and ugly?“ Fives questioned, raising a brow.  
„Okay, sorry,“ Kix said, pointing at the tree, „it looks more like a plucked chicken.“  
Fives looked stunned, mouth standing agape and all, before he crossed his arms in front of his chest, axe swinging precariously. „Alright, Miss 'christmas tree expert', which one would you like.“

Kix looked taken abback for a second, before she nodded and lead him further into the rows and rows of christmas trees.  
But just as Fives thought that the small and fat tree on the right looked pretty nice Kix suddenly grabbed him and crashed their mouths together.  
„Oh. OH. That's what you wanted?“ Fives hummed as Kix started to fumble around with is belt.

„Why not,“ she purred, smiling her most seductive smile.  
„I don't know,“ Fives said honestly, „I'm not too big about freezing my ass off.“  
„So? My ass is gonna be rubbed raw by the bark,“ Kix said, before her voice dropped into a purr as she cupped him through his jeans, „but you know I'm into pain.“

Ferns and Baldria stared at her with wide eyes and their mouths agape.  
Thankfully the siren going off saved them from having to listen to any more of Kix' stories.  
„See you later,“ Kix waved over her shoulder, running around the ambulance to get into the passenger side, while Zulu took the drivers seat.  
„You also hoping we won't see her anymore today?“ Ferns asked in a tiny voice, as the ambulance drove out of the garage, sirens blaring.  
Baldria nodded his head.   
„I think I just lost my innocence,“ he said after a moment in a choked up voice.


	9. Making a list

„Okay,“ Echo hummed, surveying their shopping list and then the contents of their shopping cart, „potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, t- you got the turkey, right.“  
„Right here,“ Hevy grinned, having the turkey tugged under his arm. Why, Echo had no idea but he was honestly in no state to care. Not when they were out doing the shopping for the christmas dinner they were hosting this year.

„What did we say we were gonna do for vegetables again?“ Hevy asked, leaning over his shoulder to have a look at their shopping list.  
„Sprouts,“ Echo said absendminded, having already turned to look around the fresh produce eisle, debating if they should get prepacked sprouts or loose ones; he decided to take the loose ones.

„I hate shopping around christmas,“ Echo grumbled as they were stuck at the register.   
The queue was so long that it was almost as long as the store itself.  
Hevy nodded in agreement, though he was focused on his phone way more. He chuckled and Echo couldn't help but hit his arm.   
„Ouch,“ Hevy cursed, looking at him surprised. Only now did Echo see that he was wearing earbuds. He was about to start bitching at Hevy for tuning him out but Hevy prevented Echo from laying into him.

„Wanna watch?“ he asked, holding the second earbud out to him and after only a second of consideration Echo shrugged.  
„Ah, why not,“ he grumbled and put the earbud in, „What are we even watching?“  
„Friends,“ Hevy grinned, holding his phone in a way that Echo was able to also see the screen as well, „the one with the cop.“  
„PIVOT!“ Ross yelled.


	10. Candle

„In situations like this I really wish you were some sort of conspiracy nut,“ Kix grumbled as they watched the lonely candle they had standing on the living room table burn lower and lower.

The snow storm had cause a city wide black out, Wyn and the two closest cities, Coatider and Sanley, were affected.  
It came out of the blue so there had been no time for stocking up or anything. And while they had plenty of food and firewood they lacked batteries for the flashlights and candles.  
„You always bitch at me when I put a bottle of coke on the door knob,“ Hardcase snorted and Kix rolled his eyes.  
„Because the kids always knock it down and I don't want them to step in shards,“ he growled.

„Sirca probably has a load of candles,“ Mirek said as he came running into the living room.   
Now it was more obvious than ever that Mirek was blind, as he was able to navigate their house with no problem. So good in fact that Senson had turned to sticking closely to his twin so he wouldn't walk into stuff.  
„And why would that be,“ Senson said with an expression as if he already knew the answer.  
„'Cause he wanted to do a spell so our teacher would get ebola and we wouldn't have to take the test on monday.“

„Well like this,“ Hardcase mumbled, looking out the window and at the snow.  
Kix was staring at Mirek for a moment before he shook his head. „Why am I even surprised.“  
All of them perked up as the doorbell rang.

Kix frowned before he and Hardcase trudged over to the front door.  
Hardcase took a look through the peephole before he frowned and opened the door.   
A gust of wind and snow came into the house and the figure on the doorstep darted inside so Hardcase could close the door again.   
„Sirca? What are you doing here!?“ Kix asked astonished as he recognized the reddish brown mop of hair of Mirek's best friend.

„My mom send me to give you some candles,“ the boy said and held out a bag that was filled with at least twenty candles.  
„She let you go out in that weather,“ Kix asked, raising a brow. He knew Sirca's mother, Mrs Ranshor wasn't exactly the woman to approve of reckless behavior.  
„Okay, I snuck out,“ Sirca admitted, kicking the carpet, „but I could see that your house wasn't as eluminated as the others.“

Kix rubbed the bridge of his nose. While he was thankfull for the candles he couldn't send Sirca back home in a storm like that on his own with a clean conscience. And as he looked at Hardcase he saw that his husband was thinking the same thing.  
„Thanks for the candles,“ Kix said while Hardcase pulled on his boots and grabbed his winter coat.   
„I'll take you home,“ he said.

Sirca huffed a resignated breath as he knew he would be lectured by his mother.   
And in face of that he quickly stole a hug from Mirek before Hardcase ushered him out of the door.

„Just how powerfull of a spell was Sirca planning on casting?“ Kix asked as he and Senson lit two of Sirca's candles in the livingroom and kitchen.  
Mirek snorted from where he was slouched on the couch. „He really doesn't want to take that test.“


	11. Dashing through the snow

„Hey Kix,“ someone called and as soon as Kix turned around towards the source Fives yelled, „think fast,“ and something cold hit him in the face.  
For the first second Kix was quite literally rooted to the spot while snow was dripping from his face. Fives was laughing about having hit him in the face with a snowball until he realized that he was the only person laughing.

Jesse looked like he had just seen a ghost, Hardcase looked scared beyond believe, Echo, Denal and Hawk were taking steps back and even Commander Tano and the Captain stared at him in utter shock.

Fives had about a second to be confused before he was tackled to the ground.  
„Think fast, huh?“ Kix growled, grabbing fists full of snow and stuffing them down the neck of Fives' body suit top and into his face, „Think fast!“  
The only thing Fives could really do was lie there and let it happen, his brain was utterly frozen.   
Kix snorted a final time like some animal, pushed off him and to his feet and stomped off, snow crunching under his feet.

Fives didn't knew for how long he just sat there, looking after the medic. He didn't even notice how his neck was freezing cold until a shadow fell over him.  
Jesse was holding a hand out towards him.  
„What just happened?“ Fives asked, noticing how his teeth were chattering and that he should probably be getting the snow out of his body suit.

„Kix hates practical jokes,“ Jesse said, taking a step back as Fives shook the snow out of his body suit and armor.  
They both turned their heads as their heard Kix cursing. At least Fives thought that's what he was doing, he didn't understand zabrak.  
„You should probably apologize,“ Jesse said, pulling a face.  
„What, or I won't be getting a lolli pop?“ Fives joked. He lost any and all myrth however as Jesse looked at him with a stern expression.

„Seriously,“ he said gravely, „when Denal got him last month he refused to talk to him until he apologized.“  
Now Fives remembered. He hadn't known what had happened back then but had seriously wondered what Denal could've done to have Kix on the war path.  
He huffed a breath in resignation and trudged his way over to Kix.

„Look, I'm sorry,“ he said as soon as he was close enough for Kix to hear him.   
„It's alright,“ the medic said, shrugging his shoulders.  
Though as he turned around Fives was hit in the chest with a snow ball.   
„Open chest!“ Kix sneered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I admit it, I watched way too much 'Scary Movie' before I wrote that one.


	12. Visiting

Echo didn't really knew how he should be feeling about all of this.  
Sure, he was excited about the fact that Hevy and Cutup were still alive but it wasn't like he could now see Hevy every time he wanted to, they were still in different parts of the GAR.  
And he didn't knew if he should be angry at Hevy for deciding to join the 212th instead of the 501st, though with time he did understand Hevy's initial wish of having a clean cut after everything.

Echo decided to talk to both Rex and Resol about it, asking them how they managed a relationship to someone that was part of an entirely different army branch.  
Rex admitted to abusing the comms from time to time when the longing got too bad, while Resol admitted that he and Neck were treating their relationship as open, as there was even less shared missions between the 7th heavy armory and the 501st legion as there were between the 212th and the 501st.

They managed to talk over comms a bit and decided to better not put a name to what there was between them. And although neither of them seemed particularly thrilled on sharing the other they both conceded that it was probably best with how things were now.  
Echo would seek the comfort of Fives' touch from time to time, just as he knew Hevy would do with Cutup, and it worked out.   
He still couldn't help and feel jealous of Hardcase and Kix, or grumble under his breath when he saw the way Tup and Dogma were making eyes at each other; like, how was his kriffed up situation any of their fault?

„Still can't really believe that we got three days off for winter fete,“ Hardcase grinned while having his arm layed across the span of Jesse's shoulders.  
„Well,“ Rex hummed, surveying something on the data pad he was holding, „you can thank the general for that.“  
„You know, maybe we really should,“ Hardcase said, grabbing Kix' upper arm while steering Jesse along, „come on guys, let's get the general a present.“  
And if Echo hadn't been caught up in his gloom and glower he would've noticed that Hardcase and Kix had looked at something behind him and Jesse had sprouted a shit-eating grin.

All of a sudden the world went dark around him and Echo flinched before realizing that someone was just holding their hands over his eyes and he hadn't spontaniously gone blind.  
„Guess who?“ the someone asked and Echo froze.  
He had been a second away from snapping, 'Fives, what the hell,' before he realized that this jokesters voice had a different timber to Fives' voice. He reached up and took a hold of the hands blocking out his vision and pulled.  
The person behind him offered up no resistance and once Echo had turned around he gaped at a broadly grinning Hevy standing behind him. 

„Surprise,“ Hevy cheered and threw his arms out wide.  
Echo, who was still too stunned for any proper reaction, just stared at him.  
Hevy frowned. „You know, I honestly expected a bit more excitement,“ he said, putting a hand onto his hip.  
„What are you doing here?“   
„Well, our general was so nice to give is a few days off for winter fete,“ Hevy said, „so I thought I'd surprise you with a little adventure,“ he turned around and motioned as if he wanted Echo to jump onto his back? „Hop on.“

And honestly, this whole thing was so sudden that apparently Echo's brain had broken because he found himself shrugging and taking up Hevy's offer.  
„Ah, why not,“ he huffed, before jumping onto Hevy's back so the other could carry him piggy back to where ever he wanted.


	13. Storm

Many people didn't understand the thought process of wanting to hunt storms.  
Hardcase would always say that it was about the thrill of seeing that side of mother nature, while Jesse said it was about the safety of their community, and Echo was all about the science.  
In truth they were all inspired by the movie 'twister' with Bill Paxton, like many of the younger storm hunters they knew.

„Can you see it, can you see it?“ Hardcase asked hectically. The rain was coming from the side in almost horizontal ropes because the wind was so strong and he couldn't see shit.  
Jesse, on the passenger seat, shook his head while Echo, on the same side of the car but on the backseat, scooted closer towards the window.

„I can see it,“ he proclaimed as the wind picked up even more, „looks like he's coming down.“  
Jesse was already fumbling around with his phone to call in the twister but the three of them didn't count on the day taking a turn for the worst.

Because of the dense rain they were essentially blind, and Hardcase following the twisters path parallel on the highway wasn't really helping matters.  
„Holy shit,“ Echo suddenly cursed and Hardcase couldn't help the reflexive look in the rearview mirror. „Another funnel behind us. Two on the ground. Two on the ground.“  
There must have been two seconds before the windshield was hit with the first pieces of hail and the first cars in front of them started slowing down and swerving.

Hardcase thankfully managed to weave his way through the chaos towards the next highway bridge. There was their truck, two cars (a honda and a subaru) and an ambulance of all things.  
Hardcase left the car running while all three of them jumped out of their truck to check on the other three cars under the bridge. Thankfully nobody was hurt, just really shaken.  
„You already called them in?“ one of the the EMT's yelled as he saw the camera Echo had directed at the twister behind them.  
„Yes,“ Hardcase yelled back -it was a wonder they could even hear each other over the sound of the storm sirens and the twister.  
„You called the second one in yet?“ he yelled at Jesse who was still yelling into his phone so that answered that question.

They all felt the change in air pressure around them and could only watch in horror as the twister before them shifted to the south, before turning and watching the other one do the same.  
It was hard to see through the whole rain but all of them knew from the way the wind picked up and the deafening howling of the wind got even louder that the two twisters had merged.

„No, there are not two anymore, they've merged,“ Hardcase heard Jesse yell into his mobile, one of the EMT's had also turned to the cb inside their ambulance.  
„As far as I can tell he's moving south,“ Echo yelled, who Hardcase only now realized had moved towards the field the two tornados had merged on, „he's probably gonna hit Anherst.“

They waited a bit more for the hail to stop and checked the cb for fellow spotters to confirm the road ahead was clear as it was still raining so much they couldn't be sure, before they got back into their car and continued following the twister, which at this point was almost a mile wide.  
Hardcase couldn't really pay attention to it but noticed half an hour later that they had been essentially taking the same route as the ambulance, and once they took different turns, the ambulance heading towards the center of Anherst and them following the twister towards it outscirts, Hardcase waved the ambulance farewell, while receiving the same gesture from the EMT on the passenger side.

The twister mowed it's way through the city of Anherst, taking down buildings and trees as if they were mere toys, before continuing it's way of destruction towards the small community of Tulira. They tailed the twister throughout all of it, updating the NWS on the twisters path the best they could.  
Merely a mile before it would hit Tulira the twister lost its momentum and finally died on the highway right in front of them. And after taking a moment to thank the lord that they were all in one piece they decided to turn tail and head back towards Anherst and help there as much as they could.

It was a hard task to make their way from the outscirts of the town towards the parts that had been hit.  
Thankfully, despite looking like a beast, the twister had done more property damage than it had taken lifes. As they found out later, while people had been hurt, nobody died.  
That was exciting to hear, especially after El Reno the year prior.  
Fate would also have it that they'd run into the same ambulance they had hunkered down under the highway bridge with.

Hardcase had pulled over once he spotted the lonely ambulance on a road in the midst of a utterly flattened street.  
Apparently Anherst's police station and one of the fire houses had been hit and they were struggling with what they had on the move. The ambulance had actually come from Wyn, transporting a patient to Anherst and had decided to stick around after dropping their patient off with the hospital.  
Which had thankfully been at the side of town the twister hadn't hit.

They spend the following hours digging through the rubble and helping to free people that had been buried under their homes.  
Hardcase drove three mildly injured people to the hospital, while the ambulance took care of two patients in critical condition. They helped to move people to the school, which was being used to shelter the people who had lost their homes, well into the dark of night.  
Finally Hardcase took the last person to the hospital, a father with an arm that was likely broken, driving behind the ambulance who held his daughter, who was in worse shape.

„You think she's gonna make it?“ Hardcase asked the EMT once the doctors had headed towards surgery with the daughter.  
The EMT shrugged his shoulders. „Surely hope so,“ he sighed, as he handed a nurse a list of all the medication he had given the child. Hardcase nodded as well, before running a hand down his face.  
Something poked his arm and as he looked down he saw that the EMT was holding a granola bar out towards him. „Sure look like you can need it,“ he said, smiling faintly.

Hardcase took the bar and nodded his thanks, before taking a seat on one of the chairs of the waiting room they were standing in; the EMT sat down next to him.  
What started as Hardcase just wanting to rest his eyes after having eaten the granola bar, turned into him falling into a deep sleep. He woke up maybe two hours later to notice the EMT's head on his shoulder and a blanket draped around them.  
Hardcase only had enough strength left to think that a nurse must've put that on them before he fell back asleep.  
He woke up to his phone buzzing, the EMT being gone and a post-it note stuck to the blanket laying over his lap.

 _'That was good work yesterday, you should really feel proud.  
The girl made it.  
\- Kix,'_ the note read, and there was a phone number scribbled under the signature.  
While Hardcase called Echo back, still staring down at the post-it, he decided what they were doing was pretty good work after all before stuffing the post-it note into his pocket and heading outside to meet up with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now guess who watched way too much tornado documentaries in the last couple of weeks.


	14. Hope

Was it a bad thing that now, after Umbara, after Hardcase was gone, that Fives was thinking, hoping, that now he would be able to have his turn with Kix. He knew it wasn't good, it was highly selfish, but he just couldn't help himself.  
Those were the things you thought about after all when you were in love.

Maybe Fives was being selfish in that regard, but wasn't that what love always was? Selfish.  
Didn't everybody want a person that they could call theirs? So what about the fact that Fives just so happened to chose Kix to be that person for him? It was not like he looked at Kix and Hardcase, and what they had, and thought to himself, 'Hm, I'd like to get in between that'.  
No, as soon as Fives had realized what those two had, he had kept his distance. Just like he had done after Rishi when he had noticed that Echo wasn't dealing too well with Hevy's death, as it had become clear to him that there had to've been more between Echo and Hevy than he had been privy to.

Echo had managed to recover with time, but it didn't change the fact that Fives had found someone that he now thought his heart belonged to; even though that person clearly favored someone else.  
Why did all of this have to be so damn complicated, Fives had thought more than once.   
Why couldn't Echo not have loved Hevy? Why was Kix in love with Hardcase? Why couldn't he just turn off his damn feelings?!

When he finally managed to get Kix into bed it was exciting but also very weird.  
Kix didn't want to look at him, and on the occasions Fives managed to talk him into a position where they were facing each other Kix kept his eyes closed tightly, and when he did open them he looked anywhere but at Fives' face.  
He also avoided touching his head. Or, he should better say, he avoided his hair. Anything that would break the illusion. 

He never called out Hardcase's name, in fact he didn't talk much at all, just noises, but Fives wasn't stupid.

„Maybe you shouldn't drink so much caf...“ Fives said. He was currently sitting in the mess hall with Kix, at kriffing three in the morning, both of them just having gotten off their respective shifts. „You know you need your sleep,“ Fives said lamely, shivering under Kix' gaze.  
The medic had dark circles under his eyes, and Fives knew first hand that Kix wasn't really sleeping much.

If anything Kix' gaze got even more piercing. His brows pulled together and his lips pulled into a thin line.   
„Stop it,“ he said clipped, downing the remaining contents of his mug before putting it down onto the table with a clang. Fives flinched.  
„What do you mean?“ he asked, though he already knew that Kix wasn't easily fooled.  
„This,“ Kix hissed, pointing at the table between them as if that was enough explanation. „I know what you see in me, Fives, I'm not blind,“ he continued, shaking his head, „Just stop it.“

Fives shouldn't feel so kriffing surprised. After all, the first time he managed to corner Kix and kiss him, the medic had stared at him as if he had just seen a ghost as he opened his eyes after. And maybe he just had.   
Fives should've stopped it then and there. But at their core human beings were selfish, and Fives was merely a man himself.

„You're just too tired,“ Fives said. His voice may have sounded calm but his shaking hands showed just how affected he was by what Kix had said.  
„You think I'm saying this because I'm tired?“ Kix snorted, looking at him with disbelieve.  
„I think you have been awake for 48 hours at this point,“ Fives nodded and apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because Kix grabbed the mug he had previously put down onto the table and smashed it on the floor.  
„Shut up,“ he growled, his eyes sparking with something Fives only knew from wild animals.  
„You think you're just gonna pretend to care and I'll be throwing myself at you?“  
„I'm not pretending anything,“ Fives said honestly, „I just-“

"You're not Hardcase, okay," Kix snapped and that hurt more than anything else he could have said, "you are not and you never will be."  
"You-" Fives started, but had to break off because his voice just wasn't working, "you don't have to be like that."   
"Yes," Kix exclaimed as he threw his hands into the air, "Yes, I have to. This might be hard to swallow but bad news'll only stop you for a while. But hope," he snorted and shook his head, his mouth pulled into an ugly sneer, "hope paralyzes you."


	15. Jolly

„'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.“  
„For fucks sake, would you shut the fuck up!“ Hevy cursed as Hardcase continued to jump around him. If he didn't knew any better he would say that their drummer had taken something but no, sadly Hardcase was just this energetic.  
„You're not being jolly at all,“ Hardcase said before ruffeling a hand through Hevy's hair and diving out of the way before their lead singer could get his hands on him.  
„Well, maybe because I'm trying to concentrate,“ Hevy hissed through gritted teeth.

He racked his brains but sadly he had forgotten the line he had just wanted to write down before Hardcase had decided to be a one men church choire.  
„Why don't you just go to the other room?“ Denal asked, who was smoking something Hevy wasn't too sure of and had a blissed out expression.  
„Gladly,“ Hevy hissed as Cutup, who was well on his way to getting pass out drunk, started to join into Hardcase's singing.

He grabbed his notepad and guitar and made for the nearest door, which he thought was to one of the bedrooms of the suite but which actually lead out onto the hallway.  
„Now, where are you heading?“ a voice asked and Hevy turned towards it's source and flinched once the door slammed shut behind him.   
„Erm, actually thought this door headed somewhere else,“ he told the security detail their manager had left them with.   
Hevy actually liked the guy. His name was Echo and he used to work for the military, or the police, or was it the FBI, he never could remember. But the most important thing was that Echo was, allbut a bit of a stickler for the rules set by management, really nice to talk to.  
Sure, most of the time he only listened but Hevy had to admit that the mans company was more than enough.

There was a crashing noise and cheering and they both stared at the closed door.  
„Rex will kill us,“ Hevy huffed, while they listened to the sound of his band mates doing god only knew what in the hotel suite.  
„No, Rex won't,“ Echo said, shaking his head and throwing him a knowing smile, „but Cody surely will.“

„Why do we have to be a rock band,“ Hevy grumbled rubbing a hand down his face tiredly, „ever heard of a boy group trashing their hotel room?“  
Echo shrugged and snorted a laugh. „Just imagine the news. 'Backstreet boys leave hotel room in shambles'.“  
„Maybe the new kids,“ Hevy mumbled, staring down at his notepad and guitar.  
„You writing on something?“ Echo asked as he noticed his gaze and after Hevy nodded his face lit up.  
„Come on,“ he waved for Hevy to follow him, „you can stay in my room. I don't think they'll be stopping any time soon.“  
Hevy shook his head in agreement as he noticed that Denal had joined the mix and was playing something really off cilter on his guitar. Thank fuck that Hardcase couldn't bring his drums he thought, before drumming could be heard. Hardcase must've found himself a trashcan.

„Boy, do I not wanna be the person who has to clean up the room tomorrow,“ Hevy huffed as he walked past Echo and into his room.  
It had long since stopped feeling weird to hang around the bodyguard. Which was a good thing, there weren't many bodyguards that the band really liked. Most of them were pretty bossy and talked down on them. Sure, sometimes Echo would do that too but only when they were being too much.  
It wasn't uncommon to find Hevy in Echo's room, or talking to the bodyguard when he was staying at the bands room.

„The song coming along?“ Echo asked while Hevy sat down on the floor croslegged, back proped up against the bedframe.  
„It was, before the others decided to go all holy jolly,“ Hevy grumbled, staring at the lyrics he had written so far.  
Echo grabbed the notepad when Hevy handed it to him, took one look at the lyrics before letting the pad fall back onto his lap.

„I liked the songs you wrote two years ago better,“ he said as he turned towards the small kitchen to pour them both a drink. „I mean, 'Morning Vibrations', 'I'm a Beast', 'Taint', those were good songs.“  
„You saying we suck now?“ Hevy asked, looking up at Echo and taking the glass of whatever the other handed him.  
„Nah,“ Echo said, sitting down on the bed and staring down at him, „Just saying that you have some pretty strange songs on your roaster now. I mean, what even is 'bunny bunny chainsaw'?“  
„That song only makes sense when you're high,“ Hevy said dismissively, remembering how they had written the song while high out of their minds on whatever Hardcase had gotten them. To this day he refused to say what it had been.

„I'm just saying, I liked the way you guys started out. What's the point of being named 'Terminal Climax' when you won't even sing about sex anymore?“  
„Hey, what about 'promise of secrets'?“ Hevy cursed and Echo had to concede his point.  
Though it wasn't a big secret that Echo wasn't a big fan of the songs that were currently lined up to be in their newest album 'Kesting'.

„Then why don't you write me a song?“ Hevy challenged, handing Echo the notepad and laying his guitar onto his lap.  
He started strumming randomly, just letting his fingers do the talking. He didn't knew how long they spend like that, Echo would hand him a glass from time to time and Hevy felt how he got more and more drunk.  
„Are you filling me up?“ he asked as Echo took out the middle man and straight up handed him a bottle of vodka.  
„You wrote 'Taint' when you were drunk,“ Echo shrugged, „It's my favorite song.“

„Really?“ Hevy raised his brow. Nobody but he himself knew that he had written the song while fantasising about going down on Echo. „What you like about the song?“  
„I don't know,“ Echo shrugged, he sat down on the floor next to him holding a bottle of his own, „I guess the way you talk about how you just wanna 'sully up that whore' and 'become one with the night so nobody can see'. Sounds like you're hiding something and I can relate to that.“

The look shared between them following Echo's explanation made Hevy question, not for the first time, if Echo was kinda sorta flirting with him.   
Like, how big were the chances that his favorite song just happened to be the one Hevy had essentially written with him in mind. 

„You hiding something from me?“ Hevy found himself asking, astonished to find his voice had dropped that low.  
Echo shrugged his shoulders, his eyes were strangely hooded. „Maybe,“ he hummed.  
Hevy felt Echo's hand on his knee, and between asking himself when the bodyguard had put his hand there and what the fuck was happening he couldn't stop staring into his eyes.  
„I think you're hiding something too,“ Echo said, his voice just as low as Hevy's.

And if somebody had told him this morning that he'd be spending the night with his bodyguard, and not in a 'crashing in his room'kinda way, he'd have thought that person to be either mad or utterly wasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's been reading too many band fanfics the last couple of weeks.


	16. Twinkling

Hardcase sighed in relieve as he finally stepped foot over the threshold of their shared home. Work had been quite the hellpit this day. Not only had they been called to a factory fire that had taken them three hours to get under controle but Waxer had also been taken to the hospital with a broken leg.

He let his work bag hit the ground with a loud thud, leaned back against the closed front door and just breathed for a minute or two.   
He had already taken a long shower at the firehouse but the smell of smoke and fire still seemed to cling to him, or he was just imagining it all, as Kix always insisted.   
Hardcase shook his head and rubbed a hand down his face before moving into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. And only as he was standing there now, looking into the living room area, did he realized that he hadn't seen or head Kix or the kids at all, even though this was Kix' day off and a saturday. 

„Kix?“ he asked and flinched as an arm appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the couch.   
„Where are the kids?“ Hardcase asked as he turned back towards the sink.  
„Sleeping over hat Sirca's place,“ Kix said, „it's his birthday, remember.“  
Hardcase nodded to himself as he remembered how he's been out with Mirek the week prior trying desperately to find a 'very special' Motörhead record Mirek was deadset on gifting to his best friend.

„Are you okay?“ Hardcase asked as he turned back towards the living room and noticed that Kix hadn't moved from his place on the couch.   
Then Hardcase noticed the open letter on the tv table and his heart fell straight into his stomach. 

After they had gotten married almost half a year ago they'd been trying to adopt, which was a constant back and forth.   
Kix had made Hardcase promise that he wouldn't be driving himself crazy about this. After all, some people spend years and years waiting for a child to foster and eventually adopt.  
And sure, maybe the letter wasn't from the adoption agency but what else would Kix be this bummed out about?

So Hardcase hurried over into the living room and made a grab for the letter but before he could snatch it up Kix did just that and held it out of his reach.  
That was the moment Hardcase turned towards him and noticed the big, dopey grin on Kix' face and the twinkle in his eyes.   
„What is-“   
„They chose us,“ Kix grinned, dangling the letter in front of Hardcase's eyes, „We're gonna have a baby!“

And that was the moment the pressure broke and everything that happened that day crashed down around him like a tidal wave.  
Hardcase didn't knew for how long he just stood there and stared at the letter that Kix was still dangling in front of his eyes. Finally he could make his body move again and he snatched the letter from his husbands hands to read it for himself.  
„How- when-“ he stammered. The joy that was bubbeling up in his chest was threatening to spill all over the place, while Hardcase faught to keep it contained.

„It was in the mailbox when I got home and then they called,“ Kix blabbered, sounding as excited as the excitement bubbling in Hardcase's stomach. And it was so strange to see Kix this excited while he himself must be looking like someone who really had problems expressing his emotions.

„Don't you realize what that means?“ Kix asked, his grin so wide that it looked like it was about to split his face in two, „we're gonna have a baby!“  
Hardcase felt how his legs gave out and he sat down heavily on the couch.   
It kinda felt like back when he had found out that Kix had two kids, just way worse; it felt like the crippling anxiety he'd felt for the best part of half a year now had been leveled by a blockbuster bomb.

Hardcase didn't even noticed that he was crying until he felt Kix' hands come to rest on his shoulders.  
„Hey,“ Kix said softly, rubbing his hands down Hardcase's arms in a comforting manner, „Hey, Hardcase. It's okay.“  
„I just- It's--“ Hardcase sobbed, pressing his forehead against Kix' shoulder as his husband pulled him into a tight hug.  
„It's alright, it's alright,“ Kix continued to say as he stroked a comforting hand down his back.

„Do the- Do the kids know?“ Hardcase asked as he finally managed to get himself back under controle.  
„Not yet,“ Kix said, smiling fondly as he held Hardcase's hand, „I knew you'd want to be there for it.“ Hardcase nodded furiously.   
„When- When can we- you know?“ Hardcase asked, wringing his hands awkwardly.  
„The woman from the agency said she'll call about that again tomorrow,“ Kix said, and Hardcase felt the fire of anticipation return to his belly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted to give them another kid for quite some time now. Let's see if I'll manage to include her in this series.


	17. Let nothing you dismay

Trying to sell this damn barstool on facebook market place was Fives' last resort.  
He had gotten the idea after Hardcase, the guy that usually sat next to him in their psychology lectures, sold his old calculator there.

 _'Stupid calculator'_ , he had written as a title.  
_'I'm a broke ass college studen and therefore selling this calculator. I hit a teacher with it once. Millionaires only, please. Can probably ship it.'_

In the end he didn't get a million, but still fifteen bucks. And as Hardcase had put it, „You have fifteen bucks or you don't have fifteen bucks.“

So Fives tried it with his hideous bar stool as well.  
Title: _'Bar stool IKEA (Colour: Ugly)'_  
Description: _'Selling this utterly awefull bar stool. I loath this object so much that it won't give me any rest. Not only is this god aweful colour an imposition, but this chair isn't even comfortable whatsoever.  
From the money I would buy myself a bottle of cheap booze and get so drunk that I'll hopefully forget everything about this damn monstrosity.  
Collect in Wyn.  
Best regards,  
Fives.'_

He posted the add before going to bed while glaring at the damn bar stool, and in the morning he already had a message from someone interested in the chair.  
The guy went to the med school close to his college and said that his mother liked this god aweful purple colour. Fives sat up a meeting.

Two hours later and a grey truck drove onto the parking lot of Fives' apartment building.  
„You the guy wanting this thing?“ Fives asked, shaking the bar stool he was standing next to.  
The guy grinned broadly as he came up to him.  
„Kix,“ he introduced himself and Fives frowned.  
„You know a Hardcase by any chance?“ he asked, as he remembered Hardcase mentioning that he was rooming with a guy named Kix.  
„Should be my room mate,“ Kix nodded, shaking his hand, „and I take it you are Fives.“  
Fives nodded as well.

„Don't tell me you also baught Hardcase's calculator?“ Fives asked amused as he helped Kix lift the bar stool onto the back of the truck.  
„I'm not doing charity work around here,“ Kix snickered, leaning against the truck with a lazy swagger, „That bar stool just happens to be the perfect gift for my mother. And cheap as well, as you agreed the thirty bucks. Which is still more than enough for the booze to forget about this 'damn monstrosity'.“

„Speaking of which,“ Fives hummed, an idea popping into his head, „you up to accompany me on my quest of forgetting about this THING.“ He pointed at the stool theatrically and batted his lashes in a hopefull manner at Kix.  
Kix looked to be pondering, before he snorted a, „Ah, why not.“ He nodded towards the front of the truck, „get in there and lets go.“

They spend the remainder of the evening hanging out at the local bar 'Tuffles' and getting utterly shitfaced. Well, Fives at least, Kix insisted on staying sober enough to drive.  
But he was still loosened up enough through the alcohol that he didn't put up a fight as Fives started kissing him as they made their way out of the bar and back towards his truck.  
Fives was well on his way to get it all in a much more enjoyable direction once he and Kix had relocated to the back seat. Only seeing the damn purple colour of the bar stool out of the corner of his eye on the back of the truck dampened his mood.  
But as Kix leaned back up to suck a hickey into his collarbone he forgot all about that damn monstrosity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kix is not driving his camaro because it's at the shops, the truck is his mother's.


	18. Gifts

„Maybe you should actually pay attention, instead of constantly being on your phone,“ Fives hissed, to which Hevy just snorted.  
„Pay attention to what?“ he asked, while scrolling further down on the page.   
„Oh, I don't know, your class?“ Fives hissed back, while squinting to be able to make out their teachers slides from their spot in the almost very last row.   
The commute had been shit today, as always. Their train had been ten minutes too late and then also needed to wait half an hour because of faulty signaling at a railway crossing, which was why he and Hevy had been ten minutes too late for their lecture.   
Thank god that their teacher didn't really pay attention to attendance.

„What are you even doing?“ Fives hissed and leaned closer to Hevy so that he could see what Hevy was looking at on his phone.   
He was on reddit and scrolling through an ask page titled, _'What is something you'd really like to ask a woman?'_.  
„Wow, I didn't knew having big boobs could be painfull,“ Fives hummed as he read one of the answers.  
„Of course,“ a voice snorted from behind them -Droidbait, who just took gender studies 101 because of the cred, had piped in- „Never heard of Massive Mammary Syndrome?“  
„Massive what?“ Hevy snorted, turning his head so that he could look back at Droidbait.  
„Something Alan said on 'Two and a half Men',“ Droidbait said offhandedly, „It kinda makes sense.“ He looked back towards their teacher and scribbled some notes.

Fives was still musing about massive mammary syndrome when Hevy suddenly started typing something on his phone.  
„What are you doing?“   
„I'm asking if it helps my attractiveness if I have a cat,“ Hevy grinned and Fives snorted.  
„Why do you care? You're gay.“  
Hevy chuckled and wiggled a finger at him. „Now don't put words into my mouth. I just said that I'm into men.“  
Fives threw his hands up in exasperation. „Then why didn't you say you're also into women?“  
„You didn't ask,“ Hevy shrugged.

„Anyways,“ Fives hissed, noting something their teacher said would be on their exam, „you don't even own a cat.“  
„That's the beauty of having a room mate that has one and is rarely home,“ Hevy grinned.   
His grin got even wider once he received an answer to his question.

_'Surely with me. Certainly better than a dog. I'm allergic and don't really like them. But if you have a hamster I'll instantly marry you.'_  
Hevy grinned and Fives squinted to make out what he replied.  
„I wrote that I don't have a hamster but if it would earn me points if I could run in a giant hamster wheel,“ Hevy snickered.  
A few minutes passed in which Fives took some more notes and asked himself why the fuck he had to take gender studies 101 before Hevy excitedly jabbed him in the ribs.

„Ouch! What?“ Fives hissed and leaned closer again to read what Hevy wanted to show him on the screen.  
He and the other user went back and forth talking about how they had to run in the hamster wheel together and promise to laugh at the one who fell first, and needed to continue running after.  
Hevy ended the combo with proclaiming that this was a date. Fives frowned and nodded once he had finished reading, so Hevy took back his phone to show him something else.  
Fives' eyes widened. „Don't tell me she DMed you,“ he said.   
„Yes,“ Hevy said excited and with a broad grin, „she's from here and would like to take me up on that hamster wheel date.“

Fives needed a second for that to sink in.  
„Are you crazy?“ he finally hissed, „you have no idea if she is real at all, this could be- Hey!“  
He jumped as Hevy started to gather his belongings. „Where do you think you're going?“  
„Heading to the pet store to get a hamster wheel,“ Hevy said, stuffing his notebook into his backpack.  
„A hamster- WoW!“ Fives grabbed a hold of Hevy's arm before he could get up, Droidbait stared at them surprised. „What if she isn't even a girl?“  
„Even better,“ Hevy grinned, seemingly not thinking at all.  
„What if they are a serial killer that want to filet you?“ Fives hissed and Hevy rolled his eyes.  
„You watch way to much 'Law and Order',“ he snickered, „then come on. I'll take you along as my body guard.“

„What? No!“ Fives hissed as Hevy tried to pull him to his feet, „the lecture.“  
„Droidbait can send us his notes,“ Hevy said, now stuffing Fives's stuff into his backpack.  
„Sure,“ Droidbait said bored, „just leave me alone, even though I don't even care for this bullshit.“  
„Then you come too,“ Hevy said, who had now succeeded in pulling Fives to his feet and grabbed both their jackets, „who needs this lecture anyways.“

Nobody even noticed the commotion in the last rows, and all three of them breathed a honest sigh of reliefe when they were finally outside.  
„Okay, let's get a hamster wheel,“ Hevy proclaimed and out they went to do just that.

„Wait, where do you guys even wanna meet?“ Droidbait asked once they had found a pet store and Hevy was looking for a hamster wheel.  
„Way ahead of you,“ he said, holding out his phone, „they're also going to uni here. We'll meet in the cafeteria by the lake,“ he directed a meaningfull glare at Fives, „See. Public space with loads of eyewhitnesses. Happy.“  
„Sure,“ Fives hummed as he watched one of the hamsters run around it's enclosure. He frowned as he saw the wheel Hevy had chosen. „Didn't you say you wanted to run in that thing. That's not nearly big enough.“  
„Ha Ha,“ Hevy said and motioned for them to follow him to the register. „It's a metaphor.“

It took them quite some time to find each other when they finally made it to the cafeteria but when they finally did all five of them were quite surprised.  
„Cutup?!“ Droidbait cursed, looking pretty pissed at his room mate, „I thought you said you were sick.“  
„I'm always sick during that lecture, Droidbait,“ Cutup said and rolled his eyes, „didn't you notice that I haven't been there after the first one?“  
Droidbait frowned. „Honestly, no.“

„And I thought you hated my guts,“ Hevy said, as the 'girl' he'd asked if a cat would increase his attractiveness just turned out to be the guy he constantly got into debates with, about the benefit of gender studies.  
„Well, if I'd known it was you,“ Echo snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. „Plus, the DM was Cutup's idea. He got bored.“  
„I thought you were 'sick',“ Droidbait said, doing airquotes for the word 'sick'.  
„Well, I am,“ Cutup said annoyed. „But he,“ he jabbed his thumb in Echo's direction, „dragged me along because 'this lecture is important'.“ He did a silly voice and pulling a face at Echo, who rolled his eyes.

„So, I guess this isn't a date after all,“ Hevy huffed, looking at the hamster wheel he was still holding a bit crestfallen.  
Echo didn't seem to think so. He smiled as he took the wheel from Hevy's hand.   
„Well, we could still make it a study date. Since you guys seem to need the notes for today-“  
The other four just groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, bare with me. I've only went to uni in germany so I have no idea how it works in the US, and everything in this chapter is based on my experiance with german uni. From the commute being shit (because the 'deutsche bahn' sucks) to taking lectures just for cred points and not paying attention, or only being there for the first lecture and the exam, to randomly leaving lectures too early because of other business.


	19. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, you should probably have read chapter 16 of my fictober 2019 take and chapter 32 of 'As Good As It Gets', otherwise you are missing all the context. Or you can read my new fic 'Five Stages Of Grief', which I specifically wrote to put all three chapters together, plus an additional fourth one .  
> And no I didn't write it like this to force you to read my other fics, even though that would've been smart, it's just the way that this story has come to me.

Hardcase would say that it wasn't even that bad but that would be a pretty big lie.  
It was extremely bothersome that Kix' ghost had apparently decided to hang around him because, at some point, Hardcase started to forget that he was the only one able to see Kix.

He would be talking to Kix in the mess hall and earn himself some raised brows before he realized what he was doing.  
Kix would appear in the worst times imaginable and have him flinch and stammer to explain himself.  
More than a couple of times he had appeared in front of Hardcase when he had gotten himself hurt and scolded him for being so reckless.

Hardcase tried to ignore the apparition but that only made it worse.  
Kix would continue to appear, being quiet most of the time, he just stood off to the side and watched him.  
More than once Hardcase asked Kix why he didn't leave, and more than once Kix told him, „Sweety, you're the one calling me here.“

It got so bad that Hardcase saw no other option but to ask somebody else about it. He debatet for quite some time and in the end decided that he would likely have the most success if he straight up asked a jedi about it. Though he didn't feel comfortable asking the general, which was why he ultimately decided to ask commander Tano.  
„Erm, this may be a strange question,“ Hardcase started, wringing his hands -Kix, who was standing at his shoulder, looked at him encouragingly- „but have you ever experianced that the memory of somebody who's died follows you around like, erm, kinda like a ghost.“ He chuckled awkwardly and turned towards Kix, who shrugged his shoulders.

As Hardcase turned back towards the commander Ahsoka's brows had pulled together into a frown, but she didn't seem to judge him.  
„I mean, yeah, there are force ghosts,“ she said thoughtfully, „but I don't know if that's what you've been experiancing.“  
„Probably not,“ Hardcase mumbled as Kix shook his head.  
Ahsoka's frown deepened as she looked directly at where Kix' apparition was standing.  
„Is he here with you now?“ she asked.  
Hardcase nodded slowly. „You can't see him?“ he asked quietly, and his heart sunk as Ahsoka shook her head. 

„No. But I can feel a presence,“ she said with a small smile. And for some reason that smile made Hardcase feel even worse than he already did.  
„He won't leave,“ he said, looking over at Kix who was still smiling at him encouragingly.  
„Does he talk to you?“  
„Well, yeah,“ Hardcase said, still feeling like he was going crazy, even though Ahsoka had told him that she could feel Kix' presence as well.  
„What does he say?“  
„All kinds of stuff,“ Hardcase said, „He's mostly scowling me for getting hurt. Telling me to eat, drink and sleep enough. Nagging me not to paint Tup's helmet green.“ He rolled his eyes at Kix' snicker.

„Hardcase. I meant, what does Kix say when you ask him to leave?“ Ahsoka asked, and the sweet, calming tone of her voice made Hardcase's stomach turn.  
„He says that I'm the one that's calling him here,“ he mumbled quietly.  
He could feel Kix' eyes on him, and knew that the medic was looking at him with this half amused, half exasperated look; the exact same look that Ahsoka was now giving him. 

„You know, sometimes the memories of someone that was close to us and that is now gone can stay behind because they have unfinished business,“ she explained patiently, „or because a person close to them isn't ready to let them go just now.“  
Hardcase swallowed heavily. „So,“ he said slowly, afraid that as soon as he'd put what he needed to do into words Kix would be gone, „you're saying that I'm the reason Kix is sticking around.“  
Ahsoka nodded, and Kix looked at him as if he was a mother who's child just called them 'mom' for the first time. 

Hardcase had hoped that this wasn't what it would boil down to, because he honestly didn't knew if he would ever be able to let Kix go.


	20. Sweets

You know what you had to look out for with Kix? If he starts baking, and doesn't somehow end up blowing up the kitchen, something is horribly wrong.  
Case in point, it was four in the fucking morning and they had just come back from a night out in town and had come across Kix, who was in the midst of baking a cake in their shared kitchen.

“Erm, Kix?” Jesse asked, slowly kreeping towards the med student as if he was a wild animal that could spook at any moment, “Why are you up at 4am, baking a cake?”  
“Yeah,” Tup piped in, “and what's with all the decorations and sweets?” He looked at the kitchen counter that already held like two baking-plates full of coockies and some fully decorated cupcakes.

Kix, who was using a wooden spoon to mix some ingredients together in a big bowl, smiled at them insanely, one of his eyes was twitching. “I'm celebrating the death of my sleeping schedule and sanity. Who wants a coockie?”  
Everyone looked mildly to extremely disturbed; everyone except Dogma who was a little too drunk and a little too naive. “I'll take a coockie,” he chirped, but Jesse grabbed his wrist before he could reach for one.  
“Go get Fives,” he said to Hardcase, “I think his boyfriend is broken.”

Hardcase nodded and went off searching for Fives, while the other three tried to get Kix to stop baking. Well, everybody safe for Dogma, who just sat down at the counter and continued staring at the baked goods longingly.  
“No, either help with something or leave the kitchen,” Kix said as Jesse tried to talk him into handing his bowl over.  
“I'll help,” Dogma offered but was shut down again by Jesse, who growled, “Dogma, I swear to god!”  
“Now, don't be so mean to him,” Kix snapped, pointing the wooden spoon at Jesse threatningly, “just because you want the coockies for yourself.”  
“I don't-” Jesse cursed, but broke off as he realized that Kix wasn't to be reasoned with. He just rubbed his temples and allowed Kix to hand a cupcake to very excited Dogma.

“How come you can only bake when you're going crazy,” he mumbled around his mouth full of cupcake, “those are really good.”  
“What do you mean 'going crazy'?” Kix snorted, putting some chocolate chips into the cake batter, “I'm fine.”  
“Wouldn't be my diagnose but what do I know,” Fives voice said and Jesse breathed a sigh of relieve. Hopefully Fives would be able to help them.   
But to his horror Fives just sat down at the counter and grabbed himself a coockie.

“What are you doing?!” he snapped, thinking now his eye was twitching as well.  
“Eating a coockie,” Fives said through a mouth full of said sweet. “That's really good, babe,” he commented and Kix grinned.  
Jesse felt like he was the only sane person in a madhouse.  
“Aren't you gonna stop him?” he asked, pointing at Kix who was adjusting something at the oven. Usually everybody would be scrambeling for cover right about now.  
“It's better than what he did this morning,” Fives said with a shrugg, “he was crying in the shower and refused to get out for like half an hour. He broke the mirror.”  
Now Jesse was positive his eye was twitching. “And you aren't even worried?!” he snapped.

“Oh, I was,” Fives said absendminded, “until I called the counselor and she said that it was normal for the med students to go a bit crazy around exam time.”  
Jesse just stared. “Normal?”  
“Yeah, she said one or two of them would likely break under the pressure,” Fives shrugged, “don't think Kix is going to though. You just got one exam left, right babe.”  
“Yeah,” Kix said easily, “day after tomorrow.”

Jesse just sat down next to Dogma and grabbed a coockie himself. Everybody was acting like this wasn't a big deal so why not enjoy the fact that Kix wasn't blowing up the kitchen and was able to bake some really nice stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspo was an episode in season 9 of scrubs (can't remember which one) in which Denise talks about her experiance with hell week.


	21. Darkness

It was so early that it was still dark outside. So early that the only people on the tram were either uni students on their way to the library, or uni students that were just getting back from a night out on the town. Echo happened to be of the first kind and he would have been in the library already if he hadn't run into his boyfriend on the tram.   
His boyfriend that had been out on the town with his friends, who were all drunk beyond their ability to make it home safely; as they were actually trying to get to the Buckingham Palace.

„I can't believe this,“ Echo hissed as he was supporting Hevy's weight, while also having a grip on Cutup's sweater, as their friend was deadset on still getting to the Buckingham Palace, „Just how much did you have?“  
Hevy just giggled stupidly, Cutup yelled about wanting to see the Queen, „Tally-Ho,“ and Nub held onto Hevy's free hand like a life line.

Thankfully he hadn't gotten that far from the dorm to begin with so it didn't take long for Echo to get everybody back home.   
„Dude,“ Nub grinned as Echo dropped him off with his boyfriend, „check out this life webcam feed of some penguins.“  
Droidbait raised a brow. „Don't you have an essay due tomorrow?“  
Nub turned deadly serious and grabbed a hold of the front of Droidbaits shirt. „Shut your fucking mouth, I'm busy!“ he hissed manacingly.  
„Have a nice day,“ Echo said quickly before continuing his journey up the stairs, which wasn't all too easy with two drunken people hanging off of him. 

Half way up the stairs they started chanting, „We hate England more than you,“ Echo not knowing who 'you' even was.  
He was extremely relieved when he could finally dump Cutup at his dorm. Cutup managed to open the door himself and walzed inside hollering for Fives to get up because they needed to invade England.   
„Cutup, for fucks sake, shut up!“ was the last thing Echo heard before he closed the door behind Cutup. He certainly had his hands full himself and didn't need to deal with Cutup nor Fives.

„Uh, look at this,“ Hevy warbled away as he staggered his way into their kitchen and caught eye of a bottle on the table. „Alcohol,“ he cooed as he hugged the bottle close to his chest.  
„That's pepsi, Hevy,“ Echo huffed annoyed and rubbed his forehead.  
„It is?“ Hevy slurred and tried to take a closer look at the bottle, but apparently his eyes wouldn't focus.

„Come on, let's get you off to bed,“ Echo said, and with a hand on his boyfriends shoulder he lead him into his bedroom.  
He got Hevy out of his jacket, shoes and jeans and into bed before Hevy even decided to move himself to help. Then he didn't even help as he just grabbed a hold of Echo and pulled him into bed as well, proclaiming that he slept better with him there. 

And that was how Echo spend the entire saturday, that he had wanted to use for doing research in the library, by staying in bed with his drunk boyfriend instead. As Hevy had grabbed him and then fallen asleep with them in such an awkward position that Echo even struggled to get up to used the bathroom.   
And every time he managed to get up Hevy would trail after him like some puppy with abandonment issues.  
„You're not leaving, are you?“ Hevy asked with a sad look to his eyes as Echo went to the kitchen for some water.   
Echo inhaled a deep breath. „No, Hevy, I'm staying,“ he said. He had decided about an hour ago, after he almost pissed himself because Hevy had refused to let him up and then accidentally elbowed him in the abdomen, that his boyfriend was just way too drunk to be even left alone in their apartment.   
For all he knew Hevy would try and get his audience with the Queen.


	22. Friends and Family

It was a yearly tradition to get together for a sort of 'company christmas party' with all of their friends a few days before christmas.  
These get-togethers had only gotten bigger and bigger over the years.  
Kix hadn't even brought Mirek and Senson until the year that he got together with Hardcase, leaving the boys with their uncle Kuato instead.  
Ahsoka had asked him a couple of times after they had all found out why he had done so, especially because Kix' sons were five years older than her eldest. And Kix would always say the same thing, he hadn't been over his ex before he met Hardcase.

With Kix' kids also being around for the christmas party they got even wilder. Their middle child, Osana, loved playing with the twins, while their eldest daughter, Adana, seemed to have a bit of a crush on Mirek. But that didn't stop her from getting into all sorts of messes with them and the other kids.  
Last year they somehow managed to make the clown, that they had hired for the youngest kids, cry.

This year however all attention was on Cutup's highly pregnant girlfriend Nedea, who was to be due in a couple of days, and Mirek and Senson's new baby sister.  
Rex had no idea how they did it but Kix and Hardcase had somehow managed to adopt a newborn baby, half a year after applying for adoption. If he didn't knew any better he would've said they had bribed the agency.

After little Leia had asked Nedea if the baby could hear them through her thick belly and Kix had to explain that, while a baby could in fact hear sounds in the womb they weren't sure what exactly, the kids shifted their focus to the baby that was already born.

„Can I hold her, can I hold her?“ Osana asked excitedly and jumped up and down, pulling at Hardcase's knees.  
„That depends on the boys,“ Kix hummed as Ahsoka layed her hands onto Osana's shoulders to stop her daughter from bouncing so much, „they're really scared that somebody's gonna drop her.“

Senson held up a tennis ball, gaze hard as he showed it to Osana. He threw it pretty hard and without warning but Osana caught it without even batting an eye.  
„Yeah, her reflexes are fine, she can hold her,“ he shrugged, but still watched as closely as a hawk as Hardcase had Osana sit down next to him before he carefully layed the baby into the young girls arms.  
„She is so tiny,“ Osana marveled, and her father smiled.  
„Just as small as you used to be,“ Rex said and Osana gaped at him.  
„Adana as well?“ she asked, looking at her older sister.  
„Of course, dummy,“ the teen huffed, rolling her eyes before turning to Mirek.

„Are you even allowed to hold her?“ she asked with a sly smile, „I mean, the tennis ball test?“  
Mirek raised a brow. „You wanna test me? Bring it on.“  
Senson chuckled as he handed the tennis ball to Adana, who then did the same test with Mirek that his twin had done with her younger sister. And, to all their astonishment, Mirek caught the ball just as Osana had done, without even batting an eye.

„What's her name,“ Luke suddenly asked, remembering that they hadn't even asked.  
„Invicta,“ Hardcase said, taking the little girl back from Osana as she started to move around restlessly and scrunch up her face.  
„Oh, Rauri also does that when she's hungry,“ Osana observed, and Hardcase smiled as he took a bottle of formula from his husband.  
„You're very observant,“ he said and Osana smiled broadly, puffing out her chest.

This year the kids didn't make the clown cry, instead they wouldn't shut up about babys and Rex wasn't the only parent that had to explain more than once that three children were more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And BOOM, I managed to include them having Invicta in this fic \\(°O°)/  
> By the way, Mirek is force sensitive in the canonverse, that's why he can catch the tennis ball without a problem and nevigate himself extremely well, despite being blind.


	23. Love

It wasn't fitting for a mershark to fall in love with a siren. Not only were sirens pretty damn territorial but they also viewed pretty much any form of sea dweller that wasn't a fellow siren to be below them.  
Fives didn't even knew how he ended up in this position. Maybe it was his damn lemonshark half that made him this affectionate, even towards beings that he probably shouldn't be.

He came across this particular siren in the deep waters of the ocean following a particularly nasty shipwreck. Nasty in a sense that it involved three merchant vessels, more than enough for up to ten mershark and five sirens to feed on without starting to tear each other appart.  
His siren had the darkest scales of the group and strange lightning like patterns running all over his head, and down his neck and shoulders.   
And unlike the other members of his group this siren was even more elusive than the others. The other sirens of this group Fives would see from time to time, even in pairs, but his siren Fives wouldn't see all too often. 

This was why he got so excited once he finally managed to track down the sirens hide.   
It was a small underwater cavern under an island very very far south; so far south in fact that Fives usually would never venture there.   
The strange things you did when you were head over tailfin in love.  
Another thing Fives did that was pretty fucked up was that he brought trinkets for the siren. Merfolk usually liked glimmery and shiny things, mershark would do courting dances and as Fives had no idea how siren courting habits worked he decided to try a mixture of both.

He brought trinkets and left them at the opening of the cave. Some seashells a mer would surely find pretty, some golden coins he found at a ship wreck, even the body of a baby seal.  
The shiny trinkets piled up in front of the cave, so did the shells but the siren seemed to accept the seal. So Fives continued to bring the siren food, until one day the siren finally reacted to his gifts.  
Granted he essentially ambushed him as Fives was about to leave him another big fish, but Fives couldn't really fault him that. 

„Not that I don't appreciate that food,“ the siren hissed as he swam up to Fives, every fin of his body raised and flared in a clear threat display, and pushed him back against the outer wall of his cave, „but I'd really like to know why you are leaving me all this.“ His tail thrashed through the water, clattering the shells and coins on the ocean floor that Fives had left and that had remained untouched.  
First Fives was too frozen for any kind of reaction, safe for baring his teeth, which quickly caused his siren to do the same thing. He didn't even realize that while he could understand what his siren said the movement of his lips weren't lining up to what he was saying, he also didn't knew how long they spend snarling at eachother but he knew when it stopped.  
„I don't know how you guys court each other,“ Fives finally said, lowering his head and body to show the siren submission and hopefully calm him down.

It seemed to work as his siren tilted his head to the side, eyeing him with open and curious eyes. „Court?“   
Fives nodded quickly. „I-I'm sorry if this wasn't to your liking,“ he stammered and pointed to the pile of untouched sea shells and gold coins.  
„You are courting me?“ the siren asked, tilting his head to the other side, and Fives nodded again. „You, a shark, are courting me?“  
Fives nodded again and thought if his siren might be slow on the uptake, until he swam even closer, their tails now touching.   
„I am incline to accept your courting,“ the siren hummed, starting to circle him and Fives felt a shiver run down his spine, not entirely sure if that shiver was pleasant or not, „Of course I'll have to officially accept.“

Fives found himself swallowing heavily. „And... And how do you plan to do that?“ he asked haltingly. The siren had layed his hands onto his shoulers as he swam close to his back, his tail sliding against Fives' from time to time.   
„You just wait,“ the siren hummed and then he was gone.   
Fives frowned and turned confused, but his siren was nowhere to be seen. He thought about leaving but something made him stay and wait for whatever his siren was doing to 'officially accept' his courting.

He didn't knew how long it took but finally a loud splashing sound above him indicated, maybe not the return of his siren, but the arrival of something.  
Fives flinched as what had produced the slash came into view. It was a sailor, one his siren must've evidently lured into the ocean and drowned.  
„You...“ Fives said slowly, eyeing the human corpse more closely, and running his hand through the white fabric of the strange garment the human was wearing before pushing the corpse towards his siren, „you drowned a human.“  
„It's supposed to show you my skils,“ his siren said, he was trailing behind the dead body and now pushing it off to the side, „show you that I can provide for offspring.“

That being said he got even closer and pressed himself against Fives' front.  
„Wow,“ Fives squeaked, having utterly not counted on this and needing to grab his sirens arms to push him off, „What- What are you doing?“  
„The purpose of a courting ritual is to produce offspring is it not?“ his siren asked, tilting his head again, „Or is that not the purpose of shark rituals?“  
„W-Well, yes,“ Fives said, backing away from the siren as he started swimming towards him again, „but don't you think this is moving a little bit too fast. I mean, I don't even know your name.“

„Kix,“ the siren said, shrugging his shoulders and raising a browridge at him.   
„Fives,“ Fives found himself answering, feeling as if he was under a spell. And maybe it was the same spell that allowed the siren to lure unsuspecting sailors into their doom.

„So,“ the siren -Kix- hummed, pulling himself back against Fives and rubbing their fronts together, „you know my name, I know yours. You courted me, I accepted. Producing offspring is the logical next step.“

And it turned out that Fives had wildly underestimated siren mating habbits. He knew that most of his species didn't mate for life or even stay with their offspring for very long, sirens however were something entirely different.   
Even though they had mated pretty quickly -Kix didn't take much convincing contrary to the female mershark Fives had observed rejecting pretty much every male that courted them- Kix then refused to leave his side.   
Mershark couples would split ways almost immediately after copulation and their females also wouldn't stay with their offspring for too long, which was actually one of the reasons Fives had been following mers and sirens, instead of trying to find a fellow shark to mate with.

Sirens, as it turned out, chose to stay with their partner and also prefered to raise their young, as opposed to leaving them to their own devices. Something that turned out to be weirdly against Fives' own nature.  
He found himself constantly straying from their cave, going on swims that would take him months to come back from, without even consciously realizing it. 

„Sharks are weird,“ Kix said more than once, though he didn't seem mad as he was smiling at him good naturedly.  
„Yeah, well, sirens are weird too,“ Fives would counter, pointing at the two small sirens that clung to his mates back. Sure, their offspring aged slowly too but sirens seemed to age even slower. Maybe because they lived so much longer than any other sea dweller.

Fives did live long enough to see their sons grow into fully mature sirens, but in the end Kix was painfully reminded of why sirens usually refused to mate with any other sea dweller.  
Compared to their lifespan Fives' felt like merely a blink, and the knowledge that he had lost his mate forever and would never be able to see him again hurt so much more.   
It also didn't help that Mirek and Senson looked so much like his mate.   
Their faces, their eyes, the fact that their tailfins looked more like the one of a shark than a sirens forced Kix to be reminded of his loss day in and day out.  
Ultimately, both his children weren't really surprised when he left one day and never returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you knew that sirens were originally shown to be female and male, but the male siren disappeared from art around the fifth century BC.  
> This story plays around that time and can be viewed as the prequel to my story 'Atargatis'. One of the sirens Kix kills in that story to 'kill' the magic he used to turn Hardcase into a mer was his own son Mirek.
> 
> And to explain a bit of the strange mating habits. Sirens in my fics have both male and female reproductive organs and can mate with male presenting- and female presenting sirens (as well as impregnate themselfes in dire situations), and either gender of shark or mer; they just choose sirens because they have such a long life span.


	24. Merry Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the title of this chapter says, Merry Christmas to you all.  
> And again, as with almost every single chapter, what I'm describing in this chapter is based on my experiance with german kindergarten in the 90's.

There was a new kid in their kindergarten group, which was quite unusuall. But their kindergarten teacher had told them that it was a lot more common than they thought, just not in their region because there weren't too many people moving to and from Wyn than other cities.

The kids name was Echo, and oh boy did he live up to his name. He'd constantly repeat everything their teacher said, which was annoying Hevy to hell and back.   
Quickly he and Cutup had turned to mockingly call the kid an 'echo'. Sure, that was actually his name but come on, he was so damn annoying. 

Some other kids would've surely run to their teacher and cried about them being mean to him, but not Echo, no, he gave just as good as he took.   
There had been a couple of times where they pushed, and pushed, and pushed just a little too much and Echo would snap.   
It was never more than a bloody nose, maybe a few scratches and bruises. Their parents also never stepped in. Echo's father had told him to stand up for himself, while Hevy's and Cutup's parents thought it best to let them deal with their little quarrel on their own, just as their teacher did.

And in the end it turned out that their approach was kinda the right one.   
Because around christmas Echo stopped caring about them calling him 'echo' in a mocking tone, and soon after that they stopped it all together because it wasn't fun anymore.  
Soon after they realized that Echo was actually really fun to be around. Sure, he would still sometimes repeat what their teacher said but he also turned out to be a very valuable part of their little group.

Two days before christmas Hevy decided to make it official.  
„You're gonna be our friend now,“ he proclaimed after they were done with breakfast.  
Echo glanced at him from the corner of his eye and scoffed. „And what if I don't want to be your friend?“ he asked with a snort.  
„You're gonna,“ Hevy said with emphasis, taking Echo's face into his hands. And before Echo could do more than look bewildered Hevy had headbutted him and he yelped in pain.

„Ouch! What was that for!?“ He cursed, holding his aching head.  
„That's how mountain goats show their affection,“ Hevy said, nodding his head in Hardcase's direction, „Hardcase told me.“  
Yeah, Hardcase who had a suspicious red and blue patch on his forehead, just as Kix and Jesse did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My precious child Hardcase, out there headbutting people to show his love. I'm so proud of him.


End file.
